


The secret of your eyes

by OldBearSoul



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Angst, Drama, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:35:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24935377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OldBearSoul/pseuds/OldBearSoul
Summary: The day Stark Industries have a pretty tempting job contest, Steve Rogers crosses his fingers to win, unsure what fate will bring when he meets Tony Stark. Rogers will discover that not everything the media says is true, and that behind Tony's flirtatious eyes hides a secret. Alternate Universe. STONY
Relationships: Bruce Banner/Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes/Sharon Carter, Loki/Thor (Marvel), Pepper Potts/James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Before start reading: This story contains a lot of drama and psychological anguish, and it touches on topics such as homophobia, rejection, acceptance of gender and identity problems.

Chapter 1.

"Steve, take a breather," Natasha said beside him with a consoling smile, "I'm sure that job will be yours."

Steve's face was serious, he seemed to have everything under control, but he was really nervous, and Natasha knew him too well to be fooled by his face.

The job would be for who will win the contest for the best project, explained and detailed.

The prestigious company Stark Industries was going to hire the winner of the contest in a pretty good position, something incredible considering the great importance of that place. For that, he had to send an original project first, and if it was among the best, he could go to the next step of the contest. The main problem was that considering the importance of Stark Industries, anyone wanted to work there, and only one of the hundreds of interested parties who applied could win. And to top it off, the final step was that the 10 participants with the best project would have the final interview with Anthony Stark himself to find out who would be the winner.

And in case it was not clear, Anthony Stark was the owner of Stark Industries. Known to everyone as the greatest genius, millionaire, and playboy in history.

That was enough to make him more than nervous.

Steve turned his head down the hall and noticed the secretary behind the desk. Behind her were huge doors where the interview would take place: Stark's office. The secretary was very pretty, with long brown hair tied in a braid, and very light eyes framed by long lashes. She had a small nametag that said Hope Pym, and she had paid relatively little attention to the group that would be interviewing his boss. She hardly raised his head from the computer to ask for the next one to pass when the previous one came out and got up from her chair to carry a folder with the participant's data. She didn't even look at them too much.

Steve was the last. They went in alphabetical order of the last name, he was R, so he had to wait.

Next to him was Natasha, who placed a hand on his leg to infuse him calmly and until that moment he realized that he was moving the leg as if pedaling in an old sewing machine.

An old habit that he did when he was nervous.

"Try to calm down," she said with a serious face, worried about her friend, "if you look very nervous, you will make a bad impression."

“Do I look nervous?”

"No," she smiled, "but I know you are."

Steve nodded without changing his serious expression much. He lowered his head to check for the fifth time if his pants were clean enough. He looked up at her again and smiled at her, then he saw the ID badge that she had where it said "visitor" and thought about how lucky he was that his friend had been allowed to pass to that level of the building, he could not have felt confident being alone in that place. Natasha shook her head slightly from side to side, without really knowing how to help her friend. Since he had been told that he managed to get to the second phase, almost a week ago, he had been in such a state of stress and nervousness that he sometimes thought that he would break into several pieces.

She understood well why the nerves of the other, he had already a long time wanting to get a job in his beloved area. Previous job offers called for previous experience, and Steve didn't have it. So when he saw "Previous experience not required" in the Stark Industries ad, he nearly fell out of his chair in excitement. Although Steve worked in a bookstore and occasionally got private clients to support himself, he really wanted to work in something in his area. His dream was one day to be able to sustain himself as a freelance, but first he needed to have worked somewhere, he needed a good resume so that his potential clients trusted him. It is very difficult for them to hire a freelance without previous experience in a company, with which they could support their work.

"What does my hair look like?" Steve asked, and Natasha couldn't help but smile. His friend never cared about his physical appearance, he was truly on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"Looks perfect, Steve."

Maybe he was so nervous about his physical appearance because of Stark. The magnate was known, among many things, for his extraordinary and fine way of dressing, with shirts that could easily cost much more than Steve's old motorcycle.

"I'll go get you a coffee," said his friend, standing up.

Steve quickly turned his head towards her, and looked at her like he was juggling an alien.

“Don't leave me alone Nat.” he asked in a voice almost cut off so that the secretary who was typing something on the computer couldn't hear it.

He really didn't want to be alone. Wasn't it pathetic? He was supposed to be a grown man and yet he was more than terrified to enter that office.

"Steve, I don't think it's going to be your turn for now," she said as she adjusted her jacket. “Everyone who has entered takes around half an hour. The last one who entered is only about ten minutes.”

Steve nodded reluctantly, thinking about a coffee would be great for him at those moments, and he saw his friend get away from him, reach the elevator and disappear.

When she disappeared, he inevitably began to feel even more anxious. He began to squeeze his hands, really wanting Nat to come over with the coffee so he could relax with the aromatic drink. He was suddenly startled to hear the doors open that separated him from Stark's office. He did not think it would be his turn, the interviews were longer. He swallowed hard when he saw Cristopher Paul come out — if he remembered correctly — with a strong step and angry eyes. It even seemed that he would start crying with rage at any moment.

As he passed Steve, he paused for a moment to see the blonde sitting.

"That man is an asshole, get out while you have a chance," he exclaimed with clear irritation, and then followed in his steps to the elevator.

That increased his nerves a thousand fold more, and his urge to go to the bathroom also increased considerably. He hardly noticed when Hope picked up the phone receiver and exchanged two words with her boss. "Rogers, Steve." she said as she got up from her seat with a folder in her hand. Steve thought that the folder contained his information and she would take it to Stark, as she had done with the previous ones. “Come with me please.”

He felt the secretary's heel click sharper and deafening than it really was, or perhaps it was his own heart that started to pound as soon as he got up from his chair and walked to the office. Office that in itself was intimidating of how immense and imposing it was. Stark was in the back, with his back to large windows that gave a full view of the city. His desk was mahogany with the company logo carved on the front. Anthony looked truly imposing. A strong scent of lavender filled his nostrils, surely with some scent.

“Mr. Stark, this is the last one.”

Hope motioned for him to sit in one of the comfortable armchairs in front of the desk. Stark seemed bored reading something from his phone, and paid little attention to his secretary when she left the folder on his desk. Steve could see that there was an ashtray with a poorly extinguished cigarette on the desk, and he understood that the strong smell of the fragrance was to diminish the cigarette smell in the office.

"Finally, he's the last." Stark sighed a little rudely, not caring that Steve was present.

Steve cleared his throat a little, he might be nervous, but he wasn't a vase either.

Tony looked up to meet each other's eyes, recognized him from the photo attached to his resume and project, and instantly smiled. He had read hundreds of projects in less than a week, and the one with the blond present was one of the ones that most caught his attention. So much so, that he ended up rereading it several times and seeing the other's photo without being able to avoid it.

 _He is smart, and he's very handsome too,_ Tony thought with a smile.

"Oh, you're the one from the Marvel project," the millionaire finished, breaking the silence, "I must say it's a ridiculous name, but a very good project."

Steve smiled at that, the name had been chosen by Sharon and he had not refused, although it actually sounded like some kind of cartoon or game for young children.

“Then you are…”

"Steve Rogers, nice to meet you Mr. Stark."

Stark smiled at him again and settled back slightly in the chair. Being so close Steve realized that the magazines had not done the millionaire real justice. He was attractive, more than anyone could describe, and he had the most seductive look that a person had ever seen. Those eyes seemed to want to proclaim themselves as the masters of the world.

Anthony cleared his throat before speaking again.

"Well Steve, I usually ask you questions about the proposal, but I already read it, so it would be stupid," he said with a shrug as he turned slightly in the chair, "and I also read your resume, so it would be just as stupid ask you anything about yourself. I guess you don't mind me skipping those ridiculous formalities?”

"Not at all," Steve replied, but an immense question arose. What would Tony ask him if that was supposed to be an interview?

"Then I think I can get to the point." Stark leaned forward, placed his elbows on the desk and put his hands together before looking directly at the blonde. "I'll be honest with you, if you want the job all you need is have oral sex with me."

 _What did he say_?! Steve thought, thinking he was misunderstanding.

Logically he must have misheard.

"I didn't understand what you said," he exclaimed, frowning. Perhaps he needed to clean his ears better.

"That all you need to get the job is go over there and give me a blow job, and that's it." Very easy right?

“Are you crazy?! He almost screamed, leaning back in his chair.

“Don't you want the job?” Tony asked looking truly serious, "I'm practically giving you a chance in a million."

"Of course I want the job, but I won't lower myself to that act. I am capable enough of getting a damn position with my merits” Steve was more than angry, he didn't even realize he had said that curse, he was trying to keep his composure sitting in that chair, but the simple proposal was making him want to hit Stark “Do you think I will sell myself for a miserable job?”

"Sell you? Miserable? Come on Steve, it's a simple thing, a lot of people would do it.

"Not me," he said, almost spelling the words, "I wouldn't touch you for a million dollars, not even with a stick."

Tony's face was one of poorly contained surprise, but then an expression of amusement settled in his expression that angered Steve even more.

“Do I disgust you so much?” He asked raising his eyebrows.

"Right now you give me the greatest revulsion in the world." Steve got up, ready to leave so he wouldn't have to bear to see each other's faces anymore.

“It´s funny, you seem very attractive to me, anyway you don't need a blow job. It was just a test.”

“What are you talking about?” He stopped in the middle of the walk.

Stark smiled again, feeling slight happiness at having disturbed another.

"Please sit down" Steve seemed reluctant to do so, but when he saw that the other was waiting to continue talking, he reluctantly obeyed "Your project was very brilliant, I was even tempted to choose you immediately without having to do all this nonsense of the ten semifinalists But Pepper... do you know who she is?

"I have heard of her." He admitted remembering that there was no gossip magazine or entertainment program that did not touch the Stark-Potts theme from time to time “She is your girlfriend and the company's financial manager.”

"Forget the word girlfriend, stay with the manager. You will already know her, she is a dictator,” he said, and he pretended to have a chill running through him. “She said something related about not choosing you just because you are very handsome, she believes that I only chose your project for your photo.”

“My project is very good” he answered slightly offended “and very well structured.”

“I know, I know. But hey, she's the boss, and I had to listen to her. Although I will not deny you, you are very handsome.”

"Mr. Stark...”

Stark raised his arms, crying out a sound of peace.

"No hints or sucks in between, unless you want to, of course."

“Can you get to the damn point of all this?” In less than 10 minutes the millionaire had caused his nerves to the point of saying two curses against his principles, which was reaching another level on the scale of being unbearable.

Stark smiled again, delighted at the blonde's frown.

"For me, you were the winner from the beginning, but as I explained, Pepper forced me to do the tests thinking that I could find someone more capable than you. As I was forced to obey it, I decided to… change the questions a little.”

“What was all this?”

"Test," he admitted without shame.

“What right do you have to do this kind of tests on people?” He asked without hiding the reproach in his tone of voice. Did Stark think of himself as a deity above the rest?

"It is my company, and the position for which you compete is higher than you think. For example, did you see the one before you?”

"He was furious." Steve recalled. "He told me you are an asshole, and I'm beginning to believe that perhaps he is right."

“Ouch, that hurt. But he said that because he agreed to suck my dick for the job.”

Steve coughed a little from choking on his saliva, had the misfortune to imagine that before he entered, that other boy was kneeling between Stark's legs.

"Oh no, nothing happened that you imagine," he said, understanding the other's thoughts, "when he accepted, he obviously failed the test. He was offended because he failed, and went out fuming.”

Well, Steve thought that was a little different. If the other boy had come out angry because he was willing to win the job that way so they would later tell him it was a test, he let Tony see a little better.

“You have seemed to me the best option from the beginning, and now I see that you wouldn't be tempted even by a good opportunity, besides that you are really handsome, it is a bonus for my eyes. You're my type, you know? Taller than me, strong, intelligent as well.”

"Mr. Stark," Steve interrupted him in a serious voice, he did not want any misunderstandings between the two of them, "I want to clarify that I am not attracted to men."

"And? It doesn't really matter, I can appreciate someone's beauty without expecting anything in return.”

Steve started an account in his mind trying to focus on something other than that compliment and that way he didn't blush, but he failed. Tony smiled and took the telephone receiver to dial his secretary's extension. When she answered, she said something Steve did not expect. —Hope, it is not necessary to wait until tomorrow, I have made a decision. Steve Rogers won.

* * *

A FEW WEEKS BEFORE

"Explain to me again. When did you realize that I was always right and decided to listen to me?" Pepper Potts crossed his legs feeling victorious, so many times claiming to Anthony that he needed someone to help him and his friend finally realized. “I say, it is surprising that Rhodey and I begged you so many times for the same thing, so that out of nowhere you tell me that you accept my proposal.”

The aforementioned brought the cigarette to his lips without responding to Pepper, knowing that he would have to endure it in her victorious mood for a couple of days that would be quite heavy.

Tony was a genius, no one could deny that, but even the brightest geniuses needed to delegate functions from time to time. The two most important functions of the company were the financial part and the creative part. Pepper was financial and relationship compliant — technically she was the president — but she knew running a company like Stark Industries wasn't easy, and she had her own personal team: Wanda Maximoff and Harold Hogan. The three of them were the highest part of the finances, and then they leaned on the managers of each department.

  
Anthony Stark was the main person in charge of the construction and planning of the projects and for no reason wanted to understand that he also needed assistants. He spent all his time working on ideas that he then turned over to the quality or production department, but he needed his own personal equipment so he wouldn't get too exhausted. A few months earlier, Bruce Banner, a colleague from Tony's university, had come to them when he lost his job. Pepper took the opportunity to make him work with Tony. At first the millionaire had been reluctant to accept it, offered him a high position in the company, but did not support Pepper's idea that he delegate part of his duties to him. Tony loved Bruce so much, but always said he was capable enough to have assistants. But two months ago, he had agreed to give the scientist more responsibilities, and even find someone else to help him with the designs and reduce his workload.

An achievement that Pepper still did not believe.

"I am an intelligent man, my dear Pepper. I can change my mind." He replied when she asked again about his change of mind.

“I see that, but I have a question, why a contest?” she asked reviewing again the announcement that they were planning to publish “I can help you get someone with capabilities without having to go through all that you pose, you are going to get bored of interviewing so many and you will explode.”

“I don't want any pretentious person who comes with airs of greatness, I want someone with no experience”.

“Why?” It is more difficult, will you have the patience to train someone?

"I want to see something, that's all." He sentenced opening his laptop.

Pepper nodded without being too convinced of that, but not all battles could be won, and Tony was already giving in to delegate functions, that was more than enough for her


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

Natasha turned off the engine of her car in front of Steve's apartment and took her phone from the dash to check some messages.

“Can I spend a few minutes?” she asked taking off her seat belt “I met some friends to meet up at a cafe nearby, and it's still early.”

“You don't even have to ask” Steve answered as he got out of the car with an expression of peace and tranquility on his face.

He still did not fully believe that he had won the job position at Stark Industries.

As they entered the building, Natasha finished telling Steve that she had seen of a rather handsome man in the cafeteria, and she asked Steve who already worked there, got his the phone number.

“And how am I going to know who he is?”

"I shot him a photo," she replied with a smile as she showed him the image from her phone, and she ignored what Steve said about the fact that it was not correct to shoot people without permission, "I think he is a local technician. I didn't speak to him for taking your coffee quickly, having known you was already at the interview, I had approached him, so you owed me.”

Steve sighed as he pulled the keys out of his pocket to open the door, knowing that Natasha was not going to stop charging him that "favor." He lived on the 6th floor of that building that required more than a coat of paint to burn it from the ground up and rebuild it again.

"Move out of this pigsty soon, Steve” Natasha went to sit in one of the armchairs in the small room while Steve went to the kitchen “you won't be able to object, you already got a good job.”

"Let me get paid first." He began to prepare a coffee while getting rid of the first buttons on his shirt.

From where she was sitting, she could see the kitchen fully, and Natasha shot him a photo while Steve was off guard. She had a friend who wanted to meet him, and she hoped she was the girl who made him forget...

"Also, I must first repair my motorcycle." The blond continued and she quickly put her phone down before he discovered her. "And you know I still have a lot of debts."

"Shit, right." Romanoff exclaimed, suddenly remembering "How are you going to work tomorrow then? They gave me the night shift and I won't be able to take you. They told you to come at 7 for training, didn't they?

“Your language, Natasha." Steve reprimanded and his friend could only roll her eyes “I can take a taxi, and at night use public transport. I will fix the motorcycle as soon as I can.”

When the coffee was ready, Steve approached her with the steaming cup, saw his friend smile on the phone and did not imagine that it was because she was sending his picture to her friend. They talked for a while, and Natasha wanted to listen again to the interview he had with Stark.

"You can't deny that your new boss is fun," she said, laughing again as Steve grimaced at the memory of his impression of _oral sex_ "I would have loved to see your reaction when you heard it from his lips.

"It doesn't seem so funny to me. It was extremely childish, as they always describe it.”

"It does amuse me," she laughed and ignored her friend's gaze, "but now we are going to be serious." she sat up straight, getting the full attention of his friend “it won't be easy for you to work with him if you can't bear that simple joke, didn't you say that it is a different position than the one announced?”

“Yes.” he stated while looking at his empty cup, he was understanding what Natasha wanted to tell him. "It is not the position in the design area. According to what he told me, it is something like his right hand. He did not explain too much, he said that tomorrow the details would be better explained.”

"Then you will be with him directly." Steve nodded and she continued. "They say working directly with Stark is not easy. And, well, according to your encounter with him ...”

"I guess I can try. Maybe he won't be so bad in the end."

“I hope so.” Natasha took the last sip from her mug, already cold, and remembered that she had wanted to ask something. "I have a question, isn't it something strange that they hired someone strange for that position? I think they must have looked for someone within the same company.”

Steve had also thought about it when Stark was explaining what his role would be, but it hadn't occurred to him to ask him directly.

"I suppose it's because he's crazy," he sentenced, taking a cookie he had put on the table.

Natasha smiled at her friend's expression.

“Do you think you regret it?” She asked doubtfully, if she already thought of his boss like that and hadn't even started...

“Do not misunderstand.” Said Steve, "I know this is a good opportunity, only if Stark is as ... as he was today, I don't want to imagine having to work with him every day. Apparently it is equal to everything they say about him in the press.”

“It´s too bad?”

“I don't even know how to describe him”

“Well, changing the subject” Natasha crossed her legs, it was time to rest from the Stark theme “Sunday is Sharon's baby shower”

Steve raised his eyebrows at that information. Was it already that Sunday? He felt a feeling of emptiness in his chest when he imagined it. Sharon was already almost eight months pregnant, so it was logical that the date was already so close.

Steve sighed, not quite sure he wanted to see how Sharon and Bucky celebrated that they would soon have their first child.

Not that Steve was not happy for them, but the problem was that it was very difficult for him not to feel immense jealousy when he was in love with Sharon. The four of them had been friends since they were 15 years old, and although Steve had always had a thing for the blonde, it was Bucky who came forward to confess on graduation day, and to ask her about three years later. And Steve didn't blame him, no one knew of his feelings, except for Natasha — always so smart and insightful Natasha — but he had made her promise that she would never say anything.

And in the sun of that day, more than 9 years after that wedding, he was still sadly in love with his friend.

Her friend, married, with his best friend.

He had dated others, his first girlfriend, Rachel Leighton, had lasted almost a year with her, but in the end the relationship ended because he could not hurt the poor girl, and he was still thinking about Sharon. He then dated Natasha's friend Susan Storm, but even before of six months, the girl cheated on him with her ex-boyfriend Reed, and Steve had to admit that he wasn't even hurt by the deception or separation. His last girlfriend, Margaret "Peggy" Carter, Sharon's cousin, was perhaps the longest lasting: almost three years. But she left him when she realized that despite all her efforts, she couldn't fully occupy the blonde's heart.

"No hard feelings" Peggy said the day they finished "you were a great boyfriend, let's be friends"

And so, at 33, Steve was unable to get Sharon out of his mind.

"Steve, so many years have passed. Sometimes I think you want to keep holding on to that love without really wanting to move forward.” —Natasha faced “You had nothing and still...”

“I'll be fine.” He said, cutting off what she had to say. "I will go on Sunday." He stated forcing a smile.

“I hope so, I'm just asking you to find someone who makes you happy, and makes you realize that love is something reciprocal, not just loving someone from afar.” Natasha checked the time on her cell phone and decided that it was time to go, but before she added: “And that by the way you can have cute children like you.”

Steve smiled and watched her leave the apartment.

He also wanted to find someone who would finally get Sharon out of his mind once and for all...

* * *

"Then you're the famous Steve Rogers." Pepper looked him up and down with appreciative eyes, and gave him a sincere smile. "I've heard a lot about you."

The day after his hiring, Steve got up early enough to go to his first day of work. He wasn't as nervous as with the interview, but he was eager. That was normal on his first day at work in a place as important as Stark Industries, wasn't it? Perhaps the best word to describe it was expectant.

He ate a hasty breakfast and called a taxi as soon as he saw the time again. He arrived in good weather indeed, and thought that perhaps since his morning had started calmly and without setbacks, the day promised to be the same.

But it was never so easy.

What was the first thing he did when he arrived?

He got lost.

The receptionist who gave him directions seemed very friendly but either confused him on purpose or Steve just didn't understand.

It was not his turn to go to Stark's office, but to the office of Pepper Potts, who would give him the first indications and, for some understandable reason, had her office very distant from that of the millionaire genius. And unlike the playboy office, which occupied almost the entire top floor - the 50th - Pepper's was in the middle, and he became confused as to whether it was on the 47th or 37th floor.

So Steve was almost 20 minutes late to Pepper. And, when her secretary opened the door to her boss's office and saw her sitting behind her desk, he had the decency to look truly sorry.

"Then you're the famous Steve Rogers." Pepper looked him up and down with appreciative eyes, and gave him a sincere smile. "I've heard a lot about you."

"I'm sorry for the delay," he said, approaching the desk and reaching out to greet the woman, "I got lost in the hallways and...”

"Oh don't worry, you wouldn't be the first to lose yourself. I got lost once looking for the quality department when they relocated it.” She gave him a wide smile and returned the greeting, and Steve verified that Pepper was also prettier than she seemed on television “but let me introduce myself as it should, my name is Virginia Potts, but tell me Pepper or Potts, I've always hated the Virginia. I am the main manager of the financial area. I guess Tony told you a little bit about me.”

"Mr. Stark mentioned that you were the boss," Steve said, ignoring that he had also described her as a dictator.

"So we started well," she smiled, feeling flattered, "I'm the vice president in front of the public, but soon you'll realize that I'm really in charge here."

Steve nodded and without wasting any more time in introductions, Pepper began to explain to him at first the operation of the company, everything that it covered and what was really wanted of him as a future worker. Apparently he would work together with someone else to lessen Anthony Stark's workload.

"I'm in doubt," Steve interrupted in part, hoping he didn't sound rude, "why didn't you say this was going to be the job in the first place?"

"Well, you surely know that Stark Industries is always in the eye of the press." At Steve's nod, she continued," if we put what we really wanted in the ad, they wouldn't leave us alone among the many possible questions.”

Steve had to agree with that.

"I think even I have doubts about that."

At that moment Pepper's secretary came in with two cups of coffee and a folder under her arm that she proceeded to hand over to her boss. Pepper took it and the girl withdrew.

Her secretary had brought her Steve's papers, she really didn't understand why Tony had chosen him. Although his Marvel project was quite good, of all he was the one with the least experience, track record or recommendation he had. But the decision was already made, and Steve seemed to be quite a worker, so there was no other. Also, she couldn't complain too much, Tony had been the one who gave her a first job opportunity when she had no real experience.

"I will explain exactly what your responsibility would be in this company. As you already know, there’s two main pillars in this company, me in the financial area, and Tony in the area of invention, of course. I have a work team, Wanda Maximoff and Clint Barton, you will meet them later, they are my right hand and between the three of us we carry that weight.” she paused, seemed to think something that had her worried “Tony does not have any team and that has always worried me, because he does not want to rely on the managers of the different departments either. He wants to do his part completely alone.”

"So this is to form a work team."

“Exactly.” Pepper agreed. "We got a great friend of ours, Bruce Banner, who started working a couple of months ago and will be part of Tony's team as part of the invention, and you would be the design part. I want you to work with him to lighten the job of that fool Stark.”

Steve smiled when he saw Pepper's concern for Anthony, it showed that the two were a true couple.

“Wanda and Clint share an office. But Bruce work in the workshop he shares here with Tony, so we will give you your own office.”

Steve was surprised to hear that, he really hadn't realized the magnitude of what his job would be.

“I know that the salary seems little compared to the work that you will have to do,” Pepper seemed concerned about his reaction to that “because it implies that you will have to work a lot, and many times we work outside office hours, but surely if you show a good work, you could be considered an increase.”

Steve never thought that the salary was low at all.

Pepper continued talking to him, explaining well the work that he had to do, as well as giving him his own code card that he would use to walk between the offices. They had used the photo Steve attached to his resume, and he wondered if they had done that before he had the interview with Tony.

“Take good care of it, its category 2, so you have access to almost all areas of the company. I'd like to take you on a tour,” she said, standing up," and we save you from losing again.”

Pepper slightly adjusted her suit, informed her secretary and took him on a tour that Steve appreciated, he did not want to get lost again, and thanks to that tour he realized the true vastness of Stark Industries. Pepper was explaining several things related to his work, and she was quite clear about the things that he should have in mind:

“Ergonomics, durability and utility, you should always keep that in mind when making a design."

“I suppose it was based on what Mr. Stark did first."

"Tony or Banner, can be both. Although final approval is almost always given by Tony.”

Steve nodded and watched a couple of workers walk past him and greet his new boss.

“How tall are you?” She asked out of nowhere, turning her face away.

"1.83," she answered, confused by the question. “Why did you ask ...?”

Pepper did not hide a wide smile

"That means I won the bet."

“Won?”

Pepper was going to answer him, but was interrupted.

"I hope you're not scaring him," was Tony Stark, wrapped in a dark blue suit, accompanied by man with a relaxed face and dressed in a gray suit. “You tend to be some intense when it comes to work.”

"I'm just showing Steve the place," she defended herself, folding her arms, "Rhodey," she said, addressing the other man, "I thought you had a meeting at noon."

"It was canceled and I wanted to see if you were free to eat."

The named Rhodey approached them and did something Steve never expected: he kissed Virginia Potts on the lips.

The blonde's wide eyes gave Stark a reason to laugh.

"Apparently our newest member also believed that Pepper and I were a couple."

That comment caused both Rhodey and Pepper to look at Steve, who was uncomfortable in a second.

"I ... that's what the media says." He defended himself, feeling slightly stupid for some reason.

"Yes," Potts rolled her eyes, irritated by that, "there's no way they understand. But don't worry Steve, everyone reacts the same when they find out.”

"I've even received threats that I need to stop stealing Stark's girlfriend," Rhodey joked as he reached out for Steve, "but let me formally introduce myself, James Rhodes, the official boyfriend of cute Pepper."

Potts nudged him, but he didn't flinch.

"Steve Rogers, it´s a pleasure," he said, responding to the greeting.

"You guys go ahead," Tony interrupted, remembering Rhodes's invitation to lunch, "there's something I have to show Steve."

Pepper threatened him not to forget to eat this time, and walked away next to Rhodey. When his friends disappeared behind the elevator, Anthony spoke to Rogers.

"You can go eat, for now I don't have to show you anything."

Steve frowned, why would he have lied to the two of them if they seemed to be close friends?

“Didn't you want to go with your friends?”

"I don't want to disturb them," he sighed and put on a strange expression for a second, which Steve didn't know if it was melancholy, "  
and I've caused too many problems for them already. I like that they have their space without me.”

That was something strange to hear for Steve, Stark sounded so melancholic...

"Pepper said you where the cafeteria is, I guess," the millionaire continued, Steve nodded trying to remember what floor he was on, "I'll be in my office, when you're done, go upstairs.”

Steve was tempted to ask him why he didn't come down to eat too, but assuming that perhaps he would do it in his office or, on second thought, that it was none of Steve business, he nodded and turned to head for the elevator.


End file.
